FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ranit Schmelzer, ranit@schmelzerstrategies.com
House Appropriations Committee Supports AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors
Voices for National Service: It’s a good first step
WASHINGTON, DC (June 10, 2026) – Last night, the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee approved its fiscal year 2027 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies spending bill. The spending package includes $1.22 billion for the AmeriCorps agency, a 2.6% reduction compared to FY26 enacted levels.
The House bill affirms that there is strong bipartisan support for investing in AmeriCorps and the infrastructure of state service commissions across the country, and provides substantially stronger funding than House proposals in recent years.
Voices for National Service – and a bipartisan group of lawmakers – have called for Congress to invest in AmeriCorps to allow more AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers to reach even more communities.
“With needs rising dramatically across the country and the unlimited talent in our communities, this is the moment to invest in AmeriCorps—the infrastructure for service across the country and people power behind thousands of community and faith-based organizations meeting urgent, local challenges,” said AnnMaura Connolly, President of Voices for National Service. “We’re encouraged by the House Appropriations Committee’s agreement to preserve AmeriCorps funding. It’s a positive signal, and we deeply appreciate Chairman Cole, Chairman Aderholt, and Ranking Member DeLauro’s leadership in securing that support.”
“Now is the time to do more and expand investment in AmeriCorps. The national service community will be working closely with members of the full House and Senate to build on this strong foundation and expand opportunities for Americans to serve. AmeriCorps provides individuals with hands-on experience at a time when employers are prioritizing the skills that AI can’t replace and the AmeriCorps service experience builds: teamwork, resilience, and accountability.”
For more than three decades, AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors have responded to our country’s most immediate and critical needs. With leadership from governors and the infrastructure provided by state service commissions across the country, AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors are the “people power” that local nonprofit, faith-based and community organizations rely on to deliver services and make a difference in local communities. While helping others, AmeriCorps members develop in-demand job skills, preparing a cohort of Americans to succeed in the workforce, and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers experience a decrease in isolation and loneliness. From natural disaster response to providing services for veterans, AmeriCorps grants and service members power organizations like the Boys and Girls Clubs, Catholic Charities, Feeding America, and United Way, among many others.
AmeriCorps has demonstrated exceptional efficiency, strong private-sector collaboration, and high-impact results. With strong bipartisan support in Congress and a governance model rooted in state and local decision making, balance and accountability, AmeriCorps delivers measurable results through locally driven solutions.
To learn more or to speak with AnnMaura Connolly, please contact Ranit Schmelzer at ranit@schmelzerstrategies.com.
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Voices for National Service empowers citizens to solve pressing community problems with unique local solutions by elevating AmeriCorps. Founded in 2003, Voices for National Service has built strong bipartisan support for national service programs, which generate $17 in benefits to the United States for every tax dollar invested. AmeriCorps annually enables 200,000 Americans to serve their country and community in public-private partnerships with local nonprofit, faith-based, and community organizations.